Entry 11

Thus much for the second benefite which God bestoweth on his Church, namely remission of sinnes: now followeth the third in these wordes: The resurrection of the body. In the handling wherof sundry points must be considered. The first, whether there be a resurrection or no? This question must needs be handled, because Epicures and Atheists in all ages, and at this day some doe call this article in question. Now that there is a resurrection of the body after death, it may be prooued by many arguments, whereof I will onely touch the principall. The first is taken from the worke of redemption. Saint Iohn writeth, that Christ came to dissolue the workes of the devill: which are sinne, and by sinne, death:¹ and hence I reason thus: If sinne and death are to be dissolued utterly, then the bodies of the faithfull which are dead in the graue, must needes be made aliue: otherwise death is not abolished: but sinne and death must be utterly abolished, therefore there shall be a resurrection. Secondly, God had made a couenāt with his church, the tenor wherof is this, I will be thy God & thou shalt be my people. This couenāt is not for a day or an age, or for a thousande yeeres or ages, but it is euerlasting & without end, so as Gods people may say of God for euer, God is our God: & likewise God will say of his Church for euermore, this people is my people. Now if Gods couenant be euerlasting, then all the faithfull departed from the beginning of the world must be raised again to life. And if god should leaue his people in the graue under death for euer, how could they be called the people of God? for he is a God of mercy and of life it selfe: & therefore though they abide long in the earth, yet they must at length be reuiued againe. This argument Christ useth against the Sadduces, which denied the resurrection:² God is not the god of the dead but of the living, but god is the god of Abrahā, Isaac & Iacob, which are dead, and therfore they must rise againe. The third argument may be taken from the tenour and order of Gods iustice. It is an especiall part of Gods glory to shewe forth his mercie on the godly▪ and his iustice upon the wicked in rewarding them according to their workes, as the Apostle saith,³ God will reward every man according to his workes: to them that by continuance in well doing, seeke glorie, and honour, and immortalitie, life eternall: but vnto them that disobey the trueth, that be contentious and obey vnrighteousnesse, shall be indignation and wrath. But in this life God rewardeth not men according to their doings: and therefore Salomon speaking of the estate of all men in this world saith, All things come alike to all, and the same condition is to the iust and vniust,⁴ to the good and bad, to the pure and polluted, to him that offereth sucrifice, and to him that offreth none. Nay, which is more, here the wicked flourish, and the godly are afflicted. The ungodly haue hearts ease and all things at will, whereas the godly are oppressed and ouerwhelmed with all kinde of miseries, and are as sheepe appointed for the slaughter. It remaines therefore that there must needes be a generall resurrection of all men after this life, that the righteous may obtaine a reward of Gods free mercie, and the wicked utter shame and confusion. But some will say, It is sufficient that God doe this to the soule of euery man, the body needeth not to rise againe. I answer, that the ungodly man doeth not worke wickednes only in his soule, but his body also is an instrument thereof: and the godly doe not onely practise righteousnes in their soules, but in their bodies also. The bodies of the wicked are the instrumentes of sinne, and the bodies of the righteous are the weapons of righteousnesse: and therefore their bodies must rise againe, that both in bodie and soule they may receiue a rewarde according to that which they haue wrought in them. The fourth argument, which is also used by Paul is this: Christ himselfe is risen, and therefore all the faithfull shall rise againe:⁵ for he rose not for himselfe as a priuat man, but in our roome and steade and for us. If the head be risen, then the mēbers also shal rise againe: for by the same power whereby Christ raised himselfe, he both can & will raise all those that be of his mysticall bodie, he beeing the first fruits of them that sleepe. The fifth argument is taken from expresse testimonie of Scripture. Iob hath an excellent place for this purpose, I am sure (saith he) that my Redeemer liueth, and he shall stande the last on the earth,⁶ and though after my skinne wormes destroy this bodie, yet J shall see God in my flesh, whom I my selfe shall see and mine eies shall behold, and none other for me. And Saint Paul to the Corinthians auoucheth and prooueth this point at large, by sundrie arguments which I will not stand to repeat; this one remembered: If (saith he) the dead rise not againe, then your faith is vaine, our preaching is in vaine, and the godly departed are perished.⁷ The sixth argument may be taken from the order of nature, which ministreth certain resemblances of the resurrection; which though they be no sufficient proofes, yet may they be inducements to the truth. Both Philosophers and also Divines haue written of the Phoenix, that first shee is consumed to ashes by the heat of the sunne, and that afterward of her ashes riseth a young one: and on this manner is her kinde preserued. Againe swallowes, wormes, and flyes, which haue lien dead in the winter season, in the spring, by vertue of the sunnes heat, reuiue againe: so likewise men fall in sounes and traunses, beeing for a time without breath or shew of life, and yet afterward come againe: and (to vse Pauls example) before the corne can grow and beare fruit it must first be cast into the ground and there rotte. And if this were not seene by experience, men would not beleeue it. Againe euery present day is as it were dead and buried in the night following, and yet afterward it returns againe the next morning. Lastly we reade how the old Prophets raised some from death: and our Sauiour Christ raised Lazarus among the rest, that had lien foure daies in the graue and stanke: why then should any thinke it impossible for God to raise all men to life?

But let vs see what reasons may be alleadged to the contrarie. First it is alleadged that the resurrection of bodies resolued to dust and ashes, is against common sense & reason. Answeare. It is aboue reason, but not against reason. For if impotent and miserable men, as experience sheweth, can by art euen of ashes make the most curious workemanship of glasse, why may we not in reason thinke that the omnipotent and euerliuing God is able to raise mens bodies out of the dust. Secondly it is said, that mens bodies beeing dead, are turned into dust, and so are mingled with the bodies of beasts and other creatures, and one mans bodie with another, and that by reason of this confusion men cannot possibly rise with their own bodies. Answ. Howsoeuer this is impossible with men, yet it is possible with God. For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing, is much more able to make euery mans body at the resurrectiō of his own matter, & to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts, and the dust of one mans bodie from another. The goldsmith by his art cā sunder diuers metells one frō another: & some men out of one metell can draw another, why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to do the like? It may be further obiected thus: A man is eaten by a wolfe, the wolfe is eaten by a lyon, the lyon by the foules of the ayre, and the foules of the ayre eaten againe by men: againe one man is eaten of another, as it is vsuall among the Canibals. Nowe the body of that man which is turned into so many substāces, especially into the bodie of another man, cannot rise againe: & if the one doth the other doth not. Ans. This reason is but a cavill of mans braine: for we must not think that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie, & is turned into the substance therof, must rise again, & become a part of the bodie at the day of iudgement; but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his own as shal make his bodie to be entire & perfect; though another mans flesh once eaten be no part therof. Againe it is vrged, that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God: therfore the bodies of men shall not rise againe. Answ. By flesh & blood, is not meant the bodies of men simple,⁸ but the bodies of men as they are in weaknes, without glorie, subiect to corruption. For flesh & blood in scripture, signifies sometime the originall sinne & corruption of nature, & sometime mans nature subiect to miseries & infirmities, or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified, and so it must be vnderstoode in this place. Lastly it is obiected, that Salomon saith, The condition of the children of men,⁹ and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition. Now beasts rise not againe after this life: & therefore there is no resurrection of men. Answer. In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe: They are like in dying: for so he saith, as the one dieth, so dieth the other: he speaketh not of their estate after death.

The second point to be considered, is the cause of the resurrection. In mankinde we must consider two parts, the Elect & the Reprobate; and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement, but by diuers causes. The godly haue one cause of their resurrection, & the vngodly another. The cause why the godly rise again, is the Resurrection of Christ, yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection. In the Scripture Adam & Christ are compared together, & Christ is called the second Adam: these were two roots. The first Adam was the root of all mākind, and he conuaieth sinne, & by sinne death to all that sprang of him, Christ onely excepted: the second Adam which is the root of all the Elect, cōuaieth life both in body & soule to all that are vnited to him: & by the vertue of his resurrection they shall rise againe after this life. For looke as the power of the Godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue, raised his bodie the third day: so shall the same power of Christ his Godhead, conuaie it selfe vnto all the faithfull, which euē in death remain vnited vnto him, & raise thē vp at the last day. And for this cause Christ is called a quickning spirit. Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe, is not the vertue of Christs resurrection, but the vertue of Gods curse, set downe in his word: In the day that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill, thou shalt die the death, that is, a double death both of bodie and soule. And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as he is a iudge, that this sentence may be verified on them; and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire.

Furthermore, Saint Iohn setteth downe the outwarde meanes whereby the dead shalbe raised, namely the voyce of Christ: The houre shall come (saith he) in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice,¹⁰ and they shall come forth. For as he created all things by his word, so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shalbe raised againe. This may be a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently: for that which they teach is the very word of God: and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life, as it shalbe after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement.

Thirdly, we are to consider what manner of bodies shal rise at the last day. Answeare. The same bodies for substance: this Iob knew well, when he said: I shall see him at the last day in my flesh, whome I my selfe shall see and none other for me,¹¹ with these same eies. Neuerthelesse the bodies of the Elect shalbe altered in qualitie, being made incorruptible and filled with glorie.¹²

The last point to be considered, is the ende why these bodies shall rise againe. The principall ende which God intendeth is his owne glorie, in the manifestation of his iustice and mercie. Now at the last day when all men shall be raised to iudgement by the voice of Christ, the godly to life, and the wicked to condemnation; there shall be a full manifestation both of his mercie and iustice: and therefore by consequent a full manifestation of his glorie.

Thus much for the doctrines touching the Resurrection: now followe the vses. First it serueth wonderfully for the comfort of all Christian hearts. Dauid speaking not onely of Christ, but also of himselfe, saith most notably: Mine heart is glad, my tongue reioyceth, and my flesh also doth rest in hope.¹³ Why so? For (saith he) thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Though the daies of this life be daies of woe and miserie, yet the day of the resurrection shall be vnto all the children of God a time of reioycing and felicitie, and as Peter saith,¹⁴ it is the time of refreshing. Whosoeuer is now an hungred, shall then eate and be filled with the fruit of the tree of life: and whosoeuer is now naked, shalbe then cloathed with the white garments dipped in the bloode of the lambe: and¹⁵ whosoeuer is now lame, shal haue all his mēbers restored perfectly. And as this day is ioyfull to the godly, so on the contrarie it is a day of woe and miserie to the vngodly: as Saint Iohn saith,¹⁶ they that haue done euill shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation. If they might cease to liue after this life, and die as the beast doth, O then it would be well with them, for then they might haue an ende of their miserie: but the wicked must after this life rise againe to condemnation, which is the accomplishment of their eternall woe and wretchednes; a rufull and dolefull case to consider, and yet is it the state of all vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant sinners. If a man were bidden to goe to bedde, that after he had slept and was risen againe he might goe to execution, it would make his heart to ake within him: yet this, yea a thousand fold worse is the state of all impenitent sinners: they must sleepe in the graue for a while, and then rise againe, that a second death may be inflicted vpon them in bodie and soule, which is the suffering of the full wrath of God both in bodie and soule eternally. This beeing so, let vs imbrace the good counsell of Saint Peter, who saith, Amende your liues and turne, that your sinnes may be done away,¹⁷ when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. If a man die repentant for his sinnes, it is a day of refreshing; but if he die in his sinnes, impenitent and hard hearted, it is a day of eternall horrour, desperation, and confusion.

Againe, if wee beleeue that our bodies shall rise againe after this life, and stand before God at the last day of iudgement, wee must daily enter into a serious consideration of this time, and haue in minde that one day we must meete the Lord face to face. A trauailer comes into an Inne hauing but a pennie in his purse, he sits downe and call for all store of prouision and dainties: now what is to be thought of him? surely in the iudgemēt of all men his behauiour bekens follie, or rather madnes. But why? because he spends freely and hath not regard to the reckoning which must follow: how foolish then and madde is the practise of euery man that liueth in his sinnes, & bathing himselfe in his pleasures in this worlde, neuer bethinking how he shall meete God at the last day of iudgement, & there make reckoning for all his doings. An ancient Divine writes of himself that this saying ranne in his minde,¹⁸ and sounded alwaies in his eares: Arise ye dead and come vnto iudgement. And this ought alwaies to be soūding in our eares, that while we haue time we should prepare our selues to meete God at the last day.

Thirdly, if we beleeue the resurrection of the bodie, we are not to weepe and mourne immoderately for our friends deceased. Our Sauiour Christ did weepe for Lazarus: and when Stephen was stoned to death, certaine men that feared God buried him, and made great lamentation for him: and therefore mourning is not condemned: & we must not be as stocks, that are bereft of all compassion: yet remember we must what Saint Paul saith to the Thessalonians: I would not,¹⁹ brethren, haue you ignorant concerning those which are asleepe, that ye sorrow not, as others which haue no hope. For the godly man properly dieth not, but laies himselfe down to take a sleepe after his manifold labours in this life; which beeing ended he must rise againe to ioyes euerlasting: and therefore we must moderate and mingle our mourning for the deceased with this and such like comforts.

Fourthly, we are taught hence to labour and striue against the naturall feare of death: for if there be a resurrection of our bodies after this life, then death is but a passage or middle way from this life to eternall life. If a begger should be commanded to put off his old ragges, that he might be clothed with rich and costly garments, would he be sorie because he should stand naked a while till he were wholly bestripped of his ragges? No surely; well, thus doth God when he calls a man to death: he bids him put off his old ragges of sinne & corruption, & be clothed with the glorious robe of Christs righteousnes: & our abode in the graue is but for a space, while corruption be put off. This is Pauls argument, saying, We know that when our earthly house of this tabernacle shalbe dissolued, we haue a building giuen of God, which is an house, not made with hands, but eternall in the heauens.

Fifthly, whereas the godly are subiect to manifold afflictions & miseries, both in bodie and minde in this life, here they shal find a sufficient stay to quiet & calme their minds, if they consider that after this short life is ended, there will insue a ioyfull resurrection.²⁰ Iob in the extremitie of all his temptations, made this the comfort to his soule, that one day he should rise again, in which he should enioy the glorious presence of his Creator. And the H. Ghost saith,²¹ that the seruants of God in the daies of Antiochus were racked and tormented, and would not be deliuered: why so? because they looked for a better resurrection.

Lastly, the consideration of this point serueth to be a bridle to restrain a man from sinne, & a spurre to make him go forward in all godlines of life and conuersation. S. Paul had hope toward God, that the resurrection of the dead should be both of the iust & vniust. Now what did this mooue him vnto?²² Marke: herein (saith he, that is, in this respect) I endeauour my self to haue alwaies a cleare cōscience towards God and towards man. And let vs for our parts likewise remember the last iudgement, that it may be a meanes to mooue vs so to behaue our selues in all our actions, that we may keep a good conscience before God and before men: and let it also be a bridle vnto vs to keepe vs backe from all manner of sinne. For what is the cause why men daily defile their bodies & soules with so many damnable practises, without any remorse of conscience? Surely they neuer seriously remember the day of the resurrection after this life, wherin they must stand before Christ to giue an account of that which they haue done in this life, whether it be good or badde.

Thus much of the duties: now marke it is further said, The resurrection of the bodie. If the bodie rise, it must first fal. Here then this point is wrapped vp as a confessed truth, that all men must die the first death. And yet considering that the members of the Church haue the pardon of their sinnes which are the cause of death, it may be demaunded, why they must die? Answere. Wee are to know that when they die, death doth not seaze vpon thē, as it is in his own nature, a curse: for in that respect it was borne of Christ vpon the crosse, and that for vs: but for two other causes, which wee must thinke vpon, as beeing speciall meanes to make a man willing to die. I. They must die that originall corruption may be vtterly abolished: for no man liuing on earth is perfectly sanctified; and originall sinne is remaining for speciall causes to the last moment of this life, & then it is abolished, and not before. II. The godly die that by death as by a straight gate they may passe from this vale of miserie to eternall life. And thus Christ by his death makes death to be no death, and turnes a curse into a blessing.

And to proceede: It is not here said, the resurrection of the soule, but of the bodie onely; what then (will some say) becommeth of the soule? Diuers haue thought, that the soules then, though they doe not die, yet are still kept within the bodie (beeing as it were a sleepe) till the last day. But Gods word saith to the contrarie. For in the Revelation it is said, The soules of the godly lie vnder the altar, and cry,²³ How long Lord Iesus? And in the Gospel of Luke, Dives in soule did suffer woe and torments in hell:²⁴ and Lazarus had ioy in Abrahās bosom. Againe some others think▪ that mens soules after this life doe passe from one mans bodie to another: and Herod may seeme to haue beene of this opinion:²⁵ for when newes was brought him of Christ, he said, that Iohn Baptist beeing beheaded was risen againe, thinking that the soule of Iohn Baptist was put into the bodie of some other man. And for proofe herof, some alledge the example of Nebuchadnezzar, who forsaking the societie of man, liued as a beast, and did eate grasse like a beast: and they imagine that his owne soule went out of him, and that the soule of a beast entred in the roome thereof. But this indeede is a fonde conceit: for euen then he had the soule of a man when he liued as a beast, being only strickē by the hand of God with an exceeding madnes, whereby he was bereft of common reason; as doth appeare by that clause in the text,²⁶ where it is saide, that his vnderstanding or knowledge returned to him againe. Againe, some other thinke, that the soule neither dieth nor sleepeth, nor passeth out of one bodie into an other, but wandereth here on earth amōg men, & oftētimes appeareth to this or that mā: & this is the opinion of some hereticks, & of the common people, which thinke that dead men walke: and for proofe hereof some alleadge the practise of the witch of Endor, who is said to make Samuel to appeare before Saul: but the truth is, it was not Samuel in deede, but onely a counterfait of him. For not all the witches in the world, nor all the deuils in hell are able to disquiet the soules of the faithfull departed, which are in the keeping of the Lord without wandring from place to place. For when men die in the faith, their soules are immediatly translated into heauen, & there abide till the last iudgement: and contrariwise if men die in their sinnes, their soules goe straight to the place of eternall condemnation, and there abide as in a prison, as Peter saith. In a word, when the breath goeth out of the bodie, the soule of euery man goeth straight either to heauē or hel; and there is no third place of aboad mētioned in scripture.

To conclude, the resurrection of the bodie is expressely mentioned in the Creede, to shew that there is no resurrection of the soule, which neither dieth, nor sleepeth, but is a spirituall and inuisible substance, liuing and abiding for euer as well forth of the bodie as in the same.